My mother recently asked me about the process I go through when doing my art. Pondering that, I realized that this it how it typically goes down in my studio. I start with an intriguing piece of rusty metal, an vintage box, or a gnarly, old architectural piece, and then I study it for a good long while. I rifle through a myriad of random doodads and lay them out in different ways, in an attempt to get some mojo working. In doing so, I amass a huge pile of rejected parts – a major source of the DrEAdeD CluTTeR! As the configuration continues to evolve, I have to consciously walk away – sometimes for hours, days, or even weeks – and then notice how it strikes me when I view it later. And so the cycle is set in motion…

Occasionally a piece takes on a life of its own with no issues, but when I’m thinking too hard or just not feeling it, I mess things up, even when using my most treasured elements. On those days, I follow some sage advice a friend gave me years ago: “Just go out in your shop and do some organizing. Maybe you’ll get into the mood, maybe you won’t, but you’ll still be making progress.” So, I might go tidy up, fire up the jigsaw, check out photos from Mexico, or cut metal with the handy-dandy throatless shear that my husband gave me for my birthday. And at some point, I’ll catch a glimpse of that elusive piece that I’ve changed – and walked away from – so many times…and see that with patience, there’s a chance that I might have finally captured its soul.